(BR) Boyhood took a
little too long to get into, and by the time I got to know this family

I was restless in my
seat. It was too long. It seemed like I was binge watching a modern day series of
The Waltons. I appreciate the original and unique concept of the 12 year
production, but I don’t think the story was in the same league as the other
nominated films. I was especially impressed with the performance of Ellar
Coltrane throughout his growth in this movie. One aspect of this film that was
a relief was the lack of torture and extreme violence that is present in most
of the nominated movies this year. However, beyond the uniqueness, there is no
compelling story. Three binoculars are all I could spare for what I consider to
be an average film.

(OG) At almost three hours, this film grew on
me like a tiny snowball rolling down a hill to become an avalanche. In other
words, I liked it more and more as we went along, but then it crashed and
self-destructed. Unfortunately, getting to the end became a goal. By two hours,
I had to look at the clock to see how much more I would have to endure. There
were four definite stages of viewing for me. First, I was unimpressed and
wondering what all the hoopla was all about. Second, I played the Has-Another-Year-Gone-By-Yet? Game. Then,
I was engaged and impressed at the determination of the actors and
director-writer to fulfill this vision. Finally, I realized—actually Barbara
suggested this to me immediately after the film ended and while the credits
were rolling-- that this was just a series of short vignettes filmed with the
same actors over a long period of time. There was a certain amount of
continuity, but every reference and historical time stamp had to have been
added during the period that the filming was done for that segment. In the end,
Boyhood never matures. I’m glad I saw it, but it’s not the best movie this
year, by a long shot. My rating? Two and a half binoculars.

Monday, January 19, 2015

American
Sniper--directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jason Hall from a book by
Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen & James DeFelice/ starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna
Miller/rated R/ 2hr 14mins

Bifocal
Reviews written by Ageless1der Barbara
Rich & The Other Guy

(BR): Of
most of the films I’ve ever seen, this was one of the hardest to watch. It is
not the physical torture or blood and guts that bothered me the most. Though
this is not my kind of movie to begin with. It was the mental anguish that was
portrayed when soldiers have to make such difficult choices when all options
are bad. I don’t know how any soldier can come away from war without being
seriously affected by the acts he is forced to perform. There aren’t enough
medals to bestow upon our service people. However, this movie was very well
constructed. I can’t find any fault with the production or the direction of
this movie. The performances were very real to me, because I became such a part
of a world that I don’t often think about. This year will be a very difficult
choice for Oscars in all categories, and my picks. American Sniper will be
among those graced with awards, no doubt and gets a well-deserved five
binoculars from this humble reviewer.

(OG): Let
me begin by saying, American Sniper is
getting four-and-half binoculars from me, and I certainly don’t consider any
action that any member of any branch of the military who is following the
orders of his superiors to be anything but heroic. This was an excellent movie
that depicted a character who should be the envy of every soldier or civilian
alike, though the movie was perhaps a little bit too long. However, I am
saddened by the concept of war. From what little I have gleaned from my
association with actual warriors—and I use that term to mean only those who
have served their countries, or established, well-defined causes, in a declared
war--it was probably the most realistic portrayal of Iraq to date. It certainly
far surpassed the highly overrated Hurt
Locker. I also have to point out that there wasn’t anyone who left the
theater early. In fact, the film got a rousing ovation from the audience, more
so than anything I’ve ever seen before. People sat reverently in silence
through the credits and did not applaud until every person involved was given
credit for their participation. So, how did I like watching this film? Honestly, it made me a little
uncomfortable. I don’t think I would have felt this way if the movie had been
about any other war, but in this case I couldn’t help but think that the “wolf-sheepdog-sheep”
triangle of cultural patriotism that is suggested as heroic here, would have
been better served by being focused on another war…say Viet Nam for instance.
Unfortunately, this movie was about a marksman who was asked to do a specific
job that he was good at performing. He didn’t hide behind the job to keep from
harm’s way, but rather used his skill to protect those he’d been instructed to
protect, under the conditions his country asked him to... his flock…Navy SEAL,
Chris Kyle protected his flock. That’s my opinion, for what’s it’s worth.

(BR) Well, it’s about time! This is a story that is long
overdue. After seeing The Imitation Game, I feel like I’ve
been deprived from knowing about the tremendous part that Alan Turing played in
history. Such genius, brilliance, and suffering through the life of Alan Turing
deepened my admiration for anyone who’s had to keep secrets, whether it be
personal or for espionage. I wish that I could reach into the afterlife and
pull him back from the grave so that he could appreciate some of the many
freedoms he was prevented from enjoying in his lifetime. As for this film,
Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance was worthy of his Globe nomination. It was a
perfect portrayal. We should also mention Keira Knightly’s pairing with
Cumberbatch was so sincere and convincing. The two seemed very comfortable in
the historical relationship that transcended the sexual. The ensemble cast and
production crew, including writer, director and musical score completed this
perfect movie going experience. In addition, Alan Turing should be acknowledged
and heralded in the forefront of history (not the background) for the
accomplishment of creating the modern computer. Without his unique perspective
who knows where technology would be today? If he had lived longer and had the
freedoms we have today, what other problems might he have solved? I give this
film five binoculars.

(OG) The word, ENIGMA comes from the Greek word, meaning riddle (or most often an unanswerable riddle), and is found in
literature in the story of the Sphinx who is said to have asked travellers to
solve a riddle before allowing them to pass. If they could not answer, the
Sphinx killed the traveller. During WWII the German army had invented a machine
that was known as the Enigma because (they believed) it created an unbreakable
code. The code was broken (as is depicted in this film) by perhaps the only
person who could have done it, a man who had to live more than one lie
throughout his life…Alan Turing. This film was, in a way an enigma unto itself,
as the themes of homosexuality, truth vs. lies, the responsibility of having
someone’s fate in your hands, adult autism, sexual equality, and types of love
are woven into a standard spy thriller, based upon the true story of Alan
Turing, the person who is given credit for developing concepts which led to the
first computers. I liked the presentation, as even the most insignificant fact
was later given importance as the story developed (Turing called his computer
Christopher and his first love also had that name), or even after the movie was
over and further research was completed. For instance, at the outset of the
movie Alan Turing is found picking up cyanide off the floor by a police
officer. At the end of the film and when I got home, I found that cyanide plays
an important role at the end of Turing’s life, though the action in the film does
not explain the poison. I liked this film enough to give it four and a half
binoculars right now. Maybe tomorrow it will seem worthy of a five.

(BR) Let me say this: I would have to have a gun to my head
before I would ever entertain the thought of trekking up any wilderness trail,
sleeping on the ground, grubbing for food, or going without a shower or a
toilet for more than a day. That’s why this movie impressed me. To voluntarily
decide to take this challenge is an alien concept for me. I’d rather jump out
of a plane, and I’m not doing that either. Anyone who’s read my reviews knows
I’m drawn to true-life stories. Hence, Wild
was a must see for me. This certainly was one of Reese Witherspoon’s finest
performances. I reserve my opinion about an Oscar nod, because I have yet to
view the other potential nominees. Cheryl Strayed’s motivation for taking the
1000 mile journey was a personal one, because of her beloved mother’s tragic
death, giving this film an extra emotional content that drew me in. Most of the
dialogue though is in the head of the Strayed character, as she walks alone on
this trail, including the memories of her childhood or conversations with her
mother played by Laura Dern. I therefore calmly give Wild three binoculars.

(OG)It was either a
wise old woman, or a motorcycle company that once said, “It’s not the
destination, but the journey.” This movie puts a blunt point on that statement,
and get’s rid of the motorcycle. If you don’t know it by now, Cheryl Strayed
walked the Pacific Crest Trail—it’s a fantastic wilderness trail that stretches
from Mexico to Canada) and she lived to tell about it. In fact, she wrote a
book about it and now it’s a movie which relives the trek for us and gets us
into the mind of the woman who felt the need to do something to remember her
mother by. I am glad she walked and that it influenced her life for the better.
I’m really happy for her. Walking is great, and experiencing nature is also
great. Great things happen to people when they test themselves and spend time
alone or with Nature. There’s no question about it, but hundreds of thousands
of people walk this trail every year. Each one of them has a story, just as
interesting as the one in this movie. I’ve personally met hundreds of
them.Wild seemed realistic and I loved
the scenery and the acting by Witherspoon. However, maybe because of the
familiarity of the script, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Barbara. I give
this one 3 binoculars, mostly for the acting.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Theory of Everything-- directed by James Marsh/written by Anthony McCarten/ based upon the book
by Jane Hawking/starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones/rated PG-13/2hr
23min

(B) I had been waiting anxiously to see this film. There is
no single word that adequately describes Stephen Hawking. Terms and phrases
like genius, or brilliant or one of kind fall short, and that would be WITHOUT
the handicap! Combining this mental genius and his physical limitations only
intensifies the effect of The Theory of
Everything. Realizing what a challenge this role would be for an actor,
made me dubious. I must say, I was not disappointed with Eddie Redmayne’s
paralyzing performance (pardon the pun). He demonstrated that he was more than
up to the challenge. He was, in short, flawless.The actress who portrayed his first wife also
delivered a riveting performance (she played the wife who was also the real
life author of the book, from which this screenplay was written). Fear not if
you think you can’t grasp the genius of Stephen Hawking. This is really a love
story about someone who happens to be physically challenged but also considered
the smartest man on the planet. This love story orchestrates how two unique and
special individual instruments can combine to make an even more beautiful
melody. I’m always drawn to biographies because I can’t wait to come home from
the theater and look up the facts of the real person’s life. Without
reservation I give generously 5 binoculars to this truly magnificent movie.

(OG) First, I loved The Theory of Everything. I remember
reading Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History
of Time and feeling like someone had reached into my brain and squeezed,
though not in a bad way necessarily. At the time, even though I couldn’t
understand much of what was written, I did grasp the special quality of the
intellect, which conceived the concepts contained there. I was a very stubborn,
self-righteous English major who was a little bit jealous of those who spoke
the language of mathematics. There are those who respond negatively to Stephen
Hawking’s message, because, honestly they have either a fear of intellect or an
aversion to anyone in a wheelchair, but you don’t need to fear here. This is a
movie about human emotions, those that are deep inside us and exactly the ones,
which are most important, and that is what a movie is supposed to be. Near the
end of The Theory of Everything, the
now—decades into a life that was not supposed to last more than two years--famous
Professor Hawking is asked to summarize, in a sound bite the importance of finding
God. I believe that he answered the question (as always) perfectly, and
you’ll have to see the movie and/or read some of Professor Hawking’s books, or
watch some of his television specials to find out for yourself. Here I will
tell you that what he said in this film was the message I carried away with me
when I left the theater…Where there is
life, there’s hope. I too give this one five binoculars. Go see it and
learn about love and life from great models of human beings, one in a
wheelchair who cheats death for decades, and everyone else who comes into
contact with him. If you let the positive message of love touch your heart, I
guarantee you won’t feel like your brain is being pulled from your skull.

Which movie DOESN'T belong in the best picture category?

About us

The owner and director of Five Birds Industries, has been a martial arts student for almost 50 years. He has also been a teacher of English Composition,Film as Literature, Creative Writing, Scriptwriting and Martial Arts for 2/3 of that time. Like any good journalist, he never made himself the story. On June 19th, 2010, Gordon was inducted into the Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame. The next year he published his first novel, SHIDOSHI:The Four Ways of the Corpse and was then inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the Legends Hall of Fame, both with Book of the Year awards. Barbara Rich, his wife and Gordon have been working and writing together for 10 years. She is the author of The Gradual Diet and is known as Ageless1der to family and friends. She is also one of 15 contributors to The Five Principles of Everything.